Literacy

For the last few weeks, we have been working on creating a big picture book for the Junior / Middle school.  We integrated the Samoan language into our book.  We explored different picture books and looked at what young children enjoyed the most.  Animals came up as a huge interest and therefore we based our book on a popular Samoan fiction story about a mouse and an octopus.

When writing the story, we tried to keep it interesting and at the same time easy for children to read and understand.  Because we were writing it in Samoan, we also had the english translation at the back.

In our narrative story, we have our introduction, problem and a solution to the problem.

Our WALT:  

To write a narrative story using the correct structure.

To write a narrative story incorporating the appropriate language features.

After writing our story, we then had to practice reading the story in Samoan.  During Samoan language week we practiced the pronunciation of the Samoan alphabet and basic words.  We focussed on reading with fluency and expression.

Come on in to Room 18 and let us share with you our story 'O le tala i le Isumu ma le Fe'e'.

Today was also Jeremiah's birthday.  He shared with us a lovely cake.  Happy Birthday Jeremiah, may you be blessed with many more, from Room 18.  Thank your for the yummy cake.

Happy Birthday Jeremiah

DOG SAFE PROGRAMME

Today, Wednesday the 12th of June 2019, room 17 & 18 were involved in a Dog Safe programme.  We made our way to the hall at 9.10am, and saw two tired looking dogs, laying there with their trainers holding on to the dog leash.  

Most of the students reacted well when they came into view of the dogs, but there were a few scared looking faces as we drew nearer to the dogs.   

The dog trainers began the programme by introducing themselves and their lovely pets.  One dog began barking, and we all laughed out loud thinking it was trying to introduce itself.

The key focus of today's dog programme was how we can care for dogs, and safe ways of dealing with dogs.

  

  

We learnt the following:

• all dogs must have a leash
• when taking a dog for a walk in public, you must always clean up after your dog
• they must have food and water
• they must have a collar.

The 3 Golden rules

1) If you want to touch a dog, you must always ask the owner

2) It they say yes, touch a dog on their back.

3) Don't run if a dog is chasing you, stand like a tree.

DMIC Maths lesson

As part of our school maths overview, we have been introduced to a new maths program called DMIC (Developing Mathematical Inquiry Community).  We have been exploring a new way of teaching and learning maths concepts.  We are now into term two and have had experienced a different way in where we as students, communicate, support and share our knowledge in Maths.

For Maths yesterday, we had our normal program where we are split into two groups of mixed abilities, one group working independently and one group with the teacher.  Our group was with Mrs Aliifaalogo.

WALT

We Are Learning To improve in communicating our mathematical thinking.   

What that looks like is sharing our working out, explaining our working out and asking questions for clarification or understanding of how you worked out a maths problem.

For maths today, we learnt that:

•  You need to know your times tables to be able to work out fractions.  
• The maths vocabulary for sharing is division.
• The maths word for collecting is adding or multiplying
• You must work out 1/5 (denominator may change) of a fraction before working out 3/5 (numerator may change) of a fraction.
• To explain your thinking clearly for others to understand you,

 .    

Our WALT that we created together at the end of the lesson was

 We Are Learning To use basic maths knowledge to work out fraction questions.

HEART BEAT DETECTION experiment

As part of our inquiry topic this term we have been looking into the impact of Science in our world and in our lives.  An experiment we did this week, was we were learning to (WALT) find a way / ways in how we could find out how fast and how strongly our heart is beating.

As part of our research we identified that a pulse monitor is commonly used for this. We also looked at how the heart works (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oHMmtqKgs50).

This is the main parts of the heart.

Here is how you can make a simple everyday pulse monitor.

You will need: toothpicks, some blu tack, pen and a timing device

1) Push the end of your toothpick into a blob of blu tack so that it will stand up by itself.

2) Find your pulse by feeling the inside of your wrist.  Mark the spot with a pen.

3) Put your hand palm up on a flat surface and carefully balance the matchstick on the mark.  Then watch the top of your toothpick twitching back and forth.  This shows your pulse rate which is the same speed as your heartbeat.  

You can do all sorts of activities to measure your heart beat, try the following:

• Measure how many times your heart beats in 1 minute / When you wake up measure how many times your heart beats in 1 minute.
• Do some form of exercise for 10 minutes flat, and then repeat the above step.  Compare your results from activity 1 and 2.

We continue to find out more about the heart beat / pulse rate and how champion sports people, measure their heart beat and use it to identify how fit they are.